Fingers to the Bone: Child Farmworkers in the United States

[GcGhostPetro]

i worked on a farm like these kids. expect the farm was in mexico and it was an orphanage. there were cows, pigs, goats, chickens, huge corn field, vegetable field mainly for carrots. we had to water the fields with buckets because there was no irrigation so it took hours. i still have some calluses on my left hand. and you know what. I love it. it was the most beautiful farm with the nicest people. i would do anything to go and visit again

[profoak1]

let's talk about some negative impacts on this very issue. child labor can cause kids to miss education (something this video mentioned). also, child labor can make kids not make friends, therefore causing a bad social life. Eat that, child labor supporters!

[mach3107]

yeah, kids need lots of friends. Just like the dozen or more kids in my high school class that died because they went to parties with their friends, drank alcohol with their friends and crashed their cars with their friends. But I was stuck on the farm learn the value of hard work and now have a good job with a family and lots of friends.

[Caitlin0990]

I guarantee this video was created by someone who doesn't understand the agricultural world. Come on people, understand what you are talking about first, don't jump to conclusions.

[primepaid]

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[sandrajeanification]

It is a two way avenue, the farmer is trying to get workers that are dependable, and willing to work. The families provide that. So, if no farmer will hire a family with children, then the farmer looses, but the bottom line are the parents that let their children work on farms. A parent can say 'No".

[m3RacerBitch]

Farm work is great its all voluntary How about the parents take some responsibility for not being able to feed there kids... Liberals are so fucking stupid they say the reason these kids are working is because they need to fix the family truck or put food on the table so the feel good liberal is going to out law that so now they starve and they have to transportation... How is that logical?

[laynejayne]

The problem is so much more complex than most people think...one thing that concerns me about this is that if they prevent the children from working but don't raise wages for the adults then many families will suffer because of the loss of income. If the wages paid the adults were sufficient then perhaps these kids would not be in the fields working and would be in school instead. Everyone who works 60 hour weeks at hard labor should be able to live decently.

[sstl517]

Good. At least they are going to appreciate the hard work that their parents have to do to put food on the table. Too many kids are overweight. This should solve the problem.

[dayspeace]

this is very informative video. I did not really expect that this kind of things exist in US farms. I thought US law against child labor is strict.

[chooch352]

all kids are illegal and should not be in the usa to begin with.

[LizethVargas589]

@chooch352 who the fck r u talking about?? illegals???

[RayWilliamJohansen]

having worked there , i can tell you that

working with adult people made me VERY competitive

they would get mad at you and pick on you if you looked weak or couldn't keep up

[Jackstowne]

The agricultural industry has always been one of the most hostile to labor rights. No one should be surprised that they exploit children.

[peterlol21]

wow, i tried working out there, and quit after 3 hours

[truivia]

I feel 2 ways about this subject. Yes I agree that the kids should get a education and not have to work such long & hard hrs. BUT this video said the kids have to work as the family is poor. I see dyed hair, I see jewelry, I see well fed kids (chubby), name brand clothing. My point is - so just how poor are the families really? Even if the bill passes the parents will still make the kids do the farm work and the farms will still allow it.

[cmb271]

u know i really dont "CARE"

[CornerTalker]

SO - did the CARE Act pass? (I'll bet not - money over people!)

[peterlol21]

i dont care, i need a summer job, and im white, and around a buncha non english speakers so its not very good for me out there either so yea, i just need a job noobs

[obedsmommy]

@Derail07 wtf they r doing jobs ur lame ass wont do

[iBundangbear]

Until these children can receive an acceptable education, including extra-curricular activities like sports, band, scouts, there is no sense in foreign wars, for until that time, democracy is dead at home.

[weirdispretty]

all childen around the world deserve an education especially kids coming frm poor families but im pretty sure someone would comment me saying that is such wishful thinking lol

[ZitherMaster97]

Who disliked this?????

[MinaVanner]

Nazis are poisoning and enslaving Latin American children!



[RoniCMaster]

So, what's wrong with this? These kids are learning independence and supporting themselves and their families through work. Sure, it might seem like its not their place to be, but who decides that? We need to take this into perspective. They are not born to rich families. So, circumstances necessitate that they work early. Nobody gets to choose where he starts, to whom he is born and with what qualities. But we all have the freedom to navigate our lives from that point to a goal we desire.

[weirdispretty]

@RoniCMaster....i bet if you were that kid working in the field, barely catching up in school overall hurting your chances of ever completing high school to even getting in to college.... u wouldn't be stating the comment above.

[RoniCMaster]

@weirdispretty I am not born with a silver spoon in my mouth, I have survived living through an insurgency in my country (Aceh, Indonesia) early in my childhood. I've done my part of backbreaking work in a palm oil plantation in Sumatra while studying in school and scoring straight As the entire time. Eventually moved to another country, went through different kinds of hardships and secure a scholarship. I can sympathize with them but that doesn't change the fact that their lives are cont.~

[RoniCMaster]

~cont. something only they can change. What do you want me to say? "Oh, poor kids, you don't deserve that."? Will that change their lives? I could say the same about the tens of millions of other children who lived through hardships daily. None of them chose to be there and none of them can. No once can choose to whom he is born. People are all different. Some are born to rich families, some are born to poor families. Some are born able and fit, some are born with disabilities. No one can cont.~

[RoniCMaster]

~cont. choose. We cannot decide the circumstances to which we are born, but what you, I and these kids can decide is where we want to go from there and how we will navigate our lives to those dreams. Of course, these are just what I've learned from my own experiences. If you've got a better idea on what life is really like, tell me.

[TheProgressionbmx]

im not racist so dont comment back saying i am there all mexican trying to earn money to support there familie because they just crossed the border into america because if they were citizens they wouldnt have to be working theres something called the welfare check that they get this is the facts that nobody brings up cause they dont want to believe it this is also going on in other countries too so dont just pitty kids in america search starving kids in africa

[runnt]

@TheProgressionbmx That's one of the longest sentences I've ever seen. I'm glad you know a.) what you're talking about, and b.) how to convey it with proper grammar and spelling. The welfare check... so, I guess it's better to be an American citizen, sitting on your ass and taking taxpayers money for a welfare check than to work earnestly to support your family. Note that these children were from TEXAS, not Mexico. They are American citizens.

[TheProgressionbmx]

@runnt have you even been to texas doubt it cause if you have you would really how it feels to be by them 24/7 take pine tree isd for example in the early 90's hardly any mexicans now there is a class for beaners that dont know fucking english cause they hopped the fucking border and i dont use fucking periods cause i dont fucking want to............................­................ put them were there supposed to go since you care so much about periods PERIOD.

[runnt]

@TheProgressionbmx I'm from Texas, actually. Born and raised. You're contradicting yourself; first you claim that you're not racist and now you're calling hispanic workers 'beaners that don't know fucking english cause they hopped the fucking border' and requesting that they be put 'WHERE there supposed to go'. Going back and forth with you is pointless. All I can do is be thankful there is only one of you in this world.

[runnt]

@TheProgressionbmx Also, how dare you compare 'kids in america' with 'starving kids in africa'. There are children living in terrible circumstances all over the world, and one is not 'better' or 'easier' than another. There's as much need here in America as there is in other countries.

[Mike10four]

The video narration defines a problem relative to some reference. It is the parents who made the decision, of their way of life, operating within the law of the land. The narration of this video would like to change the law taking away Liberty from those parents. And the state takes another step closer to raising and controlling your children.

[jonson11122]

@Mike10four

That means that parents can use their children for whatever they want? So children can be abused by their parents? Children also have their human rights and parents should KNOW that. Especially in the USA. So rich country should not afford child labour. Human rights in the USA should be important.

[Mike10four]

@jonson11122 As for children abuse, think about that when you buy a product from China. As for “human rights,” manmade rights are edicts labeled as rights implemented, at will, by an oligarchy for other men to follow. The fundamental Rights of: Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness are bestowed onto us by the Laws of Nature at conception and these Rights apply to all life. See: watch?v=tdNYVZQYJqI

[jonson11122]

@Mike10four

On products of China there is no information how it was made. The companies should monitor this and in case of child labour move their production. But this would not happen, because companies care only for profits. As for "law of nature". "Law of nature" is just another concept of man who want to hold its superior position over other people. I suppose that the same concept ("laws of nature") could be successfully used against abolishing the slavery.

[Mike10four]

@jonson11122 The Laws of Nature such as: Sir Isaac Newton’s Laws of Motion, gravity, speed of light, fundamental Rights of life, etc trumps the powers of mortals. Humans can not change any of the Laws of Nature for these Laws are from Nature not from man!

[jonson11122]

@Mike10four

What than the "laws od nature" have to do with "human rights"? What have laws of motion gravity to do with child labour? Sorry but there is no connection.

[Mike10four]

@jonson11122 It will become clear after watching: watch?v=tdNYVZQYJqI

[jonson11122]

@Mike10four

Say it here. You should do it more atractive to watch.

[Mike10four]

@jonson11122 My Friend, I agree my avatar is not too attractive. It will take me too long to explain here. However, the presentation contains youtube’s “closed-caption” or “interactive transcript” for your preference of viewing the manuscript text. Please select the “cc” option or expand the icon below and to the right of the amount of hits (“views”) the presentation had

[jonson11122]

@Mike10four

I will rephrase: Fighters for human rights (living systems) hold the unique biological genes to altruistic behaviour. These living systems assist the other living systems to survive so they can pursue their own happiness. Happiness of people with altruistic behaviour is achieved when they assist other living systems to survive (so they can pursue their own happiness).

[jonson11122]

@Mike10four

Did you know that Haiti grow majority of their food (rice) and they were doing fine until USA government impose their own economic governing system to them? Because Haitian farmers could not compete with subsidy american farmers, so they collapsed and hunger increased?

Why than USA don't leave other nations and give them freedom so they can survive by them own? Why are your government imposing own economic governance? There's nothing natural in this.

[Mike10four]

@jonson11122 The pursuit of altruistic objectives is a good thing; also, we need virtuous leaders. As for the USA in Haiti, no surprise; the USA is a rogue government no longer following its Constitution. As for your last sentence: “There’s nothing natural in this.” If it happened, it is natural and within the Laws of Nature otherwise, it could not happen. Whatever man does, and since man is part of Nature, it is natural. On the other hand, morality in a civil society is a different issue.

[jonson11122]

@Mike10four

I'm glad that you understand the subject I was presenting. As of my sentence "there's nothing natural in this" - I withdraw it (since my meaning was different as yours). Ethics with intelligence are (by my opinion) qualities that we need, to pursue happiness for humanity (as social system).

[Mike10four]

@jonson11122 I’m a big advocate in the pursuit of happiness for humanity. That is why I took the effort to prove our unalienable Rights are part of the Laws of Nature and not manmade (see my channel video). We live in the age of understanding the Laws of Nature trumps mortals in power. If the world revisits these Rights from the vantage point of science perhaps, one day we may have a New World Harmony as oppose to some “New World Order.”

[jonson11122]

@Mike10four

You just said it before ... " Whatever man does, and since man is part of Nature, it is natural."

So our Human Rights are natural and they're OK. There is no problem with our Human Rights. We have problem with their IMPLEMENTATION.

[Mike10four]

@jonson11122 True whatever man does is part of Nature. However, man can not create new Laws of Nature! Our Rights of: Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness are part of the Laws of Nature not manmade. There is no problem in “implementation” for we have these Rights at conception. Man could only interfere with our Rights creating misery; and misery we have throughout the world.

[jonson11122]

@Mike10four

I agree with what you wrote. We're debating the same thing with different words and perspectives.

So, we must stop creating misery. That's why we want Human Rights to be evident.

But since (you said) man is part of the nature so we can say that misery is also natural. That derivation of logic can be dangerous. Denying Human Rights (or as you say Laws of Natures) is not a solution.

We should not deny Human Right of our fellow ones. We should help them.

[OfficialGetGln]

Thank you for bringing this to our attention.

[MaxF28]

@Ryokenai: HRW is an organization that puts out reports, videos and does awareness campaigns. Essentially, if they're "paying lip service" to something, then they're focused on it. Also, Palestinians are mainly people whose origins are in current Israel, West Bank and Gaza not Jordan. 100,000s of people were displaced in 1948, you can debate the causes, but not that it happened.

[fishslappedface]

5:02 Is a picture of irony. In the foreground there are several children on a tractor/forklift because they need to make some money for their families while in the background there is a manicured golf course and a large SUV.

Something is definitely wrong with this picture...

[Ryokenai]

Ugh. Human rights watch? An organization that just criticizes Israel for defending itself whilst ignoring real human rights violations the world over, or at best paying lip service to them like this video. Go die in a fire, HRW.

[tainoaz]

@Ryokenai Fuck Israeli Apartheid!! they had nor right to even set up shop in Palestine to begin with WTF!!! FAIL

[Ryokenai]

@tainoaz Wow. Way to display your total ignorance of reality. If you actually read a history book, you'd know that Israel has been the Jewish homeland for three thousand years, that Palestine was a region owned by Turkey, and that the "Palestinians" are Jordanian refugees. Also, Palestine also included Jordan, Syria, and Lebanon, are those placed "occupied"?

[Ryokenai]

@tainoaz You clearly don't know what apartheid means. In Israel all citizens are treated equally, Arab or Jew. Clearly according to you, apartheid means "Won't give up your three thousand year old homeland to refugees who commit terror against you, and never had a country of their own."

Next time, don't talk about things you clearly don't know about.

[saltovan]

@Ryokenai - I beleive the people who were there 3000 years ago were the Palestinian. Most Israelis are descended from Europeans!

[Ryokenai]

@saltovan Wow. That was a ridiculous statement, considering that, A, Arabs didn't exist 3000 years ago, the closest thing being the Ishmaelite tribe, the proto-Arabs, who were in Saudi Arabia.

B, the Jews were in Israel 3,000 years ago, as indicated by every bit of archeology found in Israel as well as all historical accounts

C, the Palestinians didn't exist until 1967. Before that, they were Jordanian citizens. They started calling themselves 'Palestinians' as propaganda after the 67 war

[sweetsendaedreamr]

Our prof from my college followed several of the families for research. He told us he watched some of the kids literally starve to death ..while working for extremely low wages. ..became ill from sharing watering canteens... and lack of medical care...  the employers under cut workers alot. ..and will still turn around and charge them for staying on their land while working. Thanks for the post!